1999 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal Vinothèque, Rosé, Brut

The 1999 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque is an extraordinarily delicate, transparent Champagne that blurs the line between Champagne and wine. The mousse is so refined, almost as if it wrapped within a ball of Pinot fruit. In 1999, the Rosé is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, the Pinots from 2 blocks in Aÿ and the Chardonnays from one block each in Avize and Mesnil. For the Rosé, the Pinot is done as a saignée that infused into the white wine. That requires picking the Pinots on the riper side (riper than for the Blanc), and it is likely elevated maturity in the fruit that tilts the Vinothèque into the more vinous realm. The 1999 is an exquiste wine laced with the essence of red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, orange zest and a touch of spice. Dosage is 7-8 grams per liter. Disgorged in 2016.

98/100, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (December 2020)